Big push coming for fall enrollment for the new Cheboygan virtual school

Cheboygan Area School’s has officially launched its virtual school program and is getting everything in place for a big push in the fall.

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By MARK SPENCLEYmark@cheboygantribune.com

Cheboygan Daily Tribune - Cheboygan, MI

By MARK SPENCLEYmark@cheboygantribune.com

Posted Mar. 2, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By MARK SPENCLEYmark@cheboygantribune.com

Posted Mar. 2, 2013 at 12:01 AM

CHEBOYGAN

Cheboygan Area School’s has officially launched its virtual school program and is getting everything in place for a big push in the fall.

“We have it going now,” said Mark Dombroski, CAS superintendent. “We only have a few students enrolled right now, but we’re going to start advertising. The whole main thing is having everything in place and all of our ducks in a row for the fall.”

The program was rolled out in mid-February, giving students from across northern Michigan the chance to get an education from home, according to Renee Weaver-Wright, spokesperson for ATS Educational Consulting Services, the company CAS has contracted to run the virtual school.

“Students from the Charlevoix, Emmet, Ostego, Presque Isle, Alpena, Montmorency, Crawford, Oscoda, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Kalkaska, and Traverse Bay areas will be eligible to participate in this program at no cost,” she explained.

The virtual school will be available to students in 6-12 grade and the learning environment will be tailored to the student. It will work similar to an alternative education program, in that it results in a diploma, but all of the work can be done from the comfort of home.

“The virtual learning courses will be taken at a student’s self-scheduled time and place,” Weaver-Wright said. “My Virtual Academy teachers will be in constant contact with the students to coach them to success in their classes. All equipment necessary for the program will be provided if needed for the student.”

This venture into the world of virtual school will be part of CAS, but entirely separate for the other building in the district.

“We’re meeting a need and that’s important,” said Dombroski. “It’s a service I think schools are going to have to start offering. Its entirely separate from our brick and mortar buildings. It is its own entity.”

While this venture will offer educational opportunities to more northern Michigan students, it could also provide CAS with a much-needed boost in funding. For several years, falling enrollment has created a financial problem for CAS. If this virtual school is able to attract students, which officials believe it will, it could have a very positive impact on district as a whole.

“We think this is a really good opportunity for us,” said Dombroski. “If we didn’t do this, someone else would. I’m guessing there are 80-100 home-schooled students right here that could take advantage of this. If we got 100 more students, that’s $200,000 more for the district.”

CAS gets roughly $7,000 per full-time student enrolled. The reason the district would only net an additional $200,000 is the amount that would have to be paid to ATS.